Rules for Being, Staying Motivated

Are you tired of being unmotivated or unsuccessful? I’ve been there too, but I’m not anymore.

I strongly believe success is the product of motivation. You rarely see lazy or undisciplined people be successful. I wanted to be successful in what I was passionate about, so I created four simple but helpful rules for myself and I haven’t had that lazy feeling ever since.

1. Have goals and get on the right track to reach them.
2. Be focused on those goals (long-term and short-term).
3. Be surrounded by ambitious and motivated people.
4. Be consistent by repeating the top three rules.

I used to be someone who needed a reason to get moving and out of bed in the morning. I found myself going through the motions of what everyone else wanted me to do and I became bored with what I was doing. I was in a college program I wasn’t even interested in and found myself in friendships and relationships with those who lacked ambition. It was contagious. Do any of these apply to you?
That’s when I came up with the first rule. Have goals and get on track to reach them.
I started writing down my goals and tacking them on my bedroom walls and mirrors. I had a quote for my phone screensaver. I started going to the gym alone without anyone telling me too. I started eating better and I even switched my college major. Having a goal must happen first or you will never be able to reach them. If you don’t have goals, you might as well get in your car and drive without knowing where you’re going. You wouldn’t do that, would you?
I think rules two and three work hand-in-hand. I worked hard at being focused but realized everyone else around me at the time wasn’t. The company I kept wasn’t on the same page as me in terms of motivation. So, I removed myself from those people and situations to surround myself with ambitious people. Once I did that, it became easier to be focused and motivated. I no longer had anyone as a negative influence. That’s important!
Next, I came across rule number four: Be consistent by repeating the top three rules.
I became motivated but ran into another problem, staying motivated. I’d make improvements and eventually return to the old me. Kind of like those “New Year Resolutions” everyone gets caught up in. On New Year’s, people create goals they’d like to reach by the end of the year. We see it every year. People stick to their diets or get on track to reach their goals and by March, they’ve forgotten all about them. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t one of those people. That’s when I realized the fourth rule was just as important as the others, if not more important. It won’t be a surprise when you think about giving up or grow tired, but I have a quote that stays in the back of my mind for those moments. It’s the same one that was on my screensaver, maybe it can help you with rule four like it’s helped me.
“When you feel like quitting think about why you started”. – Anonymous
There’s something I noticed about successful individuals… they are extremely motivated. Although it seems like it has always been easy for them, it wasn’t. I discovered they struggled at one point just like I did. But they found motivation with some variations of these rules I’ve mentioned.
Now, I am motivated without anyone telling me to be motivated. It became easy like those people I admired. I accomplished those goals I tacked on my bedroom walls and they went from small to large goals. As a result, I’ve become one of those people that I admired. So, my friend, I hope you take my friendly advice to improve your life by being and staying motivated.